National Disaster Resilience Competition

What is the National Disaster Resilience Competition?

The National Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC) is a $1 billion program being administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The NDRC is designed to provide grants to communities to rebuild in a more resilient way following a major disaster.

California applied to fund a forest restoration and community engagement effort known as the Community and Watershed Resilience Program (CWRP). This $70 million project is a collaborative effort made up of local, state, and federal partners including Tuolumne County, California Department of Housing and Community Development, Sierra Nevada Conservancy, California Environmental Protection Agency, Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, U.S. Forest Service, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

A Community in Peril

The 2013 Rim Fire burned more than 257,000 acres which devastated the landscape and local communities. It resulted in significant impacts to the local ranching community, threatened access to clean and drinkable water, disrupted the lives of thousands of people, and damaged air quality. Initial estimates indicate that the Rim Fire released 11 million metric tons of greenhouse gasses (GHGs), or roughly equivalent to the annual GHG emissions from 2.3 million cars.

The Rim Fire emitted in a matter of weeks more than San Francisco emitted in an entire year.

The CWRP is designed to address unmet recovery needs in the Rim Fire footprint, while also supporting community protection and resilience.

What does community protection and resilience look like?

The Forest and Watershed Health Program, a collaborative effort between the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, the U.S. Forest Service, and CAL FIRE, will restore and protect the health of one of California’s most vital watersheds by:

Removing dead material from forests that act as fuel for the next fire on up to 4,600 acres

Controlling and minimizing the spread of noxious weeds on 3,500 acres

Rebuilding rangeland infrastructure such as fencing and wildlife-friendly troughs

Creating and enhancing strategic fuel breaks to reduce future fire risk on up to 1,995 acres

In 2018, the U.S. Forest Service intends to award fuel reduction and reforestation site preparation contracts on up to approximately 4,780 acres in the Rim Fire footprint using FWHP funds. Other 2018 projects include constructing nearly 15 miles of range fences and controlling the spread of noxious weeds through prescribed fire on approximately 1,400 acres.

This effort led by the Sierra Nevada Conservancy will utilize woody biomass from forest restoration activities and complement existing wood processing infrastructure in Tuolumne County.

SNC is completing a feasibility study to inform the design and location of the facility. Building on community input, SNC will help identify options for the development and construction of the biomass utilization facility.

The CRC, led by Tuolumne County, will provide shelter and necessary resources in the event of a disaster and will support community services, educational programs, and job training. The center will be located within the Rim Fire footprint.

Extensive stakeholder outreach is currently underway to solicit public input on the design, services, and location of the CRC.

A New Model for Forest and Community Resilience

The CWRP will serve as a model for communities to proactively plan and think about resilience in preparation for a future with increasingly severe wildfires.